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Sep. 26, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

LIED INFESTATION: ROACHES DOG ANIMAL SHELTER

Workers say 'explosion' of pests has defied eradication efforts

By SCOTT WYLAND
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Slideshow


Cockroaches crawl among dog food during feeding time Thursday at the Lied Animal Shelter minutes before staff members dumped all the infested trays. The shelter's manager traced the infestation to 500 pounds of donated dog food.
Photos by K.M. Cannon



A dog waits by a food tray during feeding time Thursday at the Lied Animal Shelter, which has been infested by cockroaches.

An army of cockroaches infesting an animal shelter is described as "biblical," a "plague" and "an explosion."

Since mid-July, workers at the Lied Animal Shelter have fought a hardy strain of roaches that invaded the dog kennels and now swarm the canines' chow.


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    • Mike Garvin, a shelter employee, wheeled a garbage pail filled with dry food through a kennel on Thursday. He stopped to point at a dozen roaches crawling down a wall.

    "When they smell the food," he said, "here they come."

    Garvin grabbed a bowl full of food from a dog's cage and shook it. Roaches leaped and scampered amid the grainy nuggets.

    "I'll be honest with you. Yes, we have a problem, and we're working on it," said Gordon Smith, the shelter's operations manager. "It was not a gradual thing. It was an explosion."

    Smith traced the infestation to 500 pounds of donated dog food that he believes contained the pests. Many of the bags were opened before delivery, which would allow vermin to slip inside, he said.

    Before then, Smith, who has worked at the shelter 18 months, would spot a few roaches here and there.

    But suddenly more roaches appeared. And more. And more.

    By late August, the proliferating pests carpeted the aisles of some dog kennels at feeding time.

    "You couldn't walk through here without stepping on them," Smith said.

    It didn't matter that workers scoured and disinfected the kennel areas three times a day, or that a pest-control company did routine sprayings, Smith said. The resilient roaches seemed to shrug off all efforts to combat them.

    Standing water left on the floors after the wash-downs combined with dog food help the roaches thrive, Smith said.

    Still, Smith and Garvin observed that far fewer marauding bugs appeared while food was served Thursday.

    All the sanitizing might be paying off, Garvin said. "They really, really subsided in the last week or so."

    Smith said he is bringing in a different exterminator that he hopes will snuff out the bugs.

    Truly Nolen Pest Control will apply an animal-safe insecticide in the infested areas next week at no cost. After that, the company will negotiate a yearlong contract with the shelter at a discounted rate, said Chris Blaisdell, a Truly Nolen technician.

    "They had a pretty bad infestation there," Blaisdell said. "It's not a problem that got there overnight, and there's no way it can be fixed overnight."

    He noted that the pests are German cockroaches.

    The insects are adept at evading pest control because they are small, they hide in tiny crevices, and a female carries the eggs with her rather than depositing them in places where they can be wiped out, according to online data about the bug.

    Smith said people should not liken the infestation to the unsanitary conditions in early 2007 that led to 1,000 animals being euthanized in a week.

    No longer are multiple animals crammed into a cage for an excessive length of time, he said. Now, one animal occupies one cage unless it's a mother and her babies.

    And the animals are pushed through with shorter stays, he said, which means that, yes, some will be euthanized.

    The goal now is to eradicate the roaches and ensure this kind of infestation never happens again, Smith said.

    Keeping the shelter pest-free demands vigilance, he said.

    "You're never going to be able to finish them all off."

    Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.

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    idabessie wrote on September 26, 2008 08:06 PM: Those poor animals and employees to have to deal with those horrible roaches! That is too bad and hope they can remedy the problem soon. And VEGASVIC you are not even funny. But you probably aready knew that..........


    Vegas Vic wrote on September 26, 2008 04:28 PM: Look, just kill these animals. Nobody is adopting them. It's the humane thing to do.


    GREENSPUN CONNECTION wrote on September 26, 2008 04:14 PM: Anything supported by the Las Vegas Sun's Greenspun family is usually roach infested and disgusting.


    whosthere? wrote on September 26, 2008 02:39 PM: Max: Genius. Problem solved for little expense.


    Max wrote on September 26, 2008 02:15 PM: Maybe Lied can start a roach adoption campaign. You know, put out newspaper ads with a picture of a cute little puppy roach that's in need of a good home. Run some TV ads too and put out a plea for the public's help. They can let the public know that you can pick yourself up a good quality roach at their facility without having to go through the need or expense of acquiring one from a reputable qualified breeder. They can place pictures of all their available roaches on their website and all roaches have been spayed/neutered and have all their shots. C'mon people, let's show some community spirit and help out.


    SMD wrote on September 26, 2008 11:32 AM: For anyone reading this article and feels helpless---you can do your part by promoting the adoption of one of these aboandoned or neglicted animals. Tell your friends, family or co-workers who may be considering a new pet, to adopt one of these animals and get them out of this place. That is how you can do your part in this horrible situation. No more pets stores and spay & neuter---too many unwanted pets living in these shelters.


    john wrote on September 26, 2008 10:07 AM: Excellent reporting and I must say very keen observation of what many of us would not have recognized as a "biblical plague".
    Go get a life, and a job that better suits you, journalism ain't yer bag dude.


    odydog wrote on September 26, 2008 10:07 AM: Fedup

    PS: Dont forget about the other parts of your animals anatomy that it licks before it gives you that big lick in the mouth


    odydog wrote on September 26, 2008 09:59 AM: Fedup

    The problem is that people humanize animals. Roaches are high in protein and are eaten all over the world by animals and people. Maybe your dog has licked his rear too much and then liked you in the mouth.

    You have your opinions and I have mine.


    joef wrote on September 26, 2008 09:58 AM: 10% Sevin dust sprinkled around would kill off a lot of them. The nervous system of the roach can't tolerate the sevin/sulphur combination.

    These things you learn if you have ever lived in Texas.


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